


Your Undoing

by ELISE_ELEVEN



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: ALL THE ROMANCE, Character Death, F/M, Force Ghost(s), Hopeful Ending, Inspired by a Trailer, Light Angst, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Trailer, my ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-02 01:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21153326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ELISE_ELEVEN/pseuds/ELISE_ELEVEN
Summary: “And now, your coming together is your undoing.”The darkness surrounding the throne at the end of the long chamber is obliterated by a strike of cold, blue lighting as the storm rages above. "Now, because of Snoke’s incompetence, I will have much more work to do.”Kylo feels a wave of energy in the Dark Side of the Force as Palpatine rises slowly, painstakingly from his throne. “Bonds of family. Bonds of love. Those can be broken, sliced, turned against themselves. But a bond through the Force itself can never be severed.""That is why one of you must die, Young Skywalker."





	1. Part I

Part I

“And now, your coming together is your undoing.” 

Kylo lifts his chin. The darkness surrounding the throne at the end of the long chamber is obliterated by a strike of cold, blue lighting as the storm rages above. All is bright for a moment, so blinding it stings his eyes, and he blinks rapidly, taking in the true form of Darth Sidious himself. Then the darkness returns, the only light in the cavern a round window in the ceiling above; and the wrinkled, chalk-white skin and those eyes- those terrifying red and yellow eyes, disappear again. Kylo is facing only a hooded robe once more. 

“That was Snoke’s greatest mistake. He wanted you to become connected to the Jedi. He believed it would bring her to him and that killing her would bring you into your final state within the Dark Side. He would destroy you both with a single strike.” A gnarled hand emerges from the recesses of the cloak, curling around the arm of the stone throne. “But he underestimated that kind of bond. He did not know the true depths of a bond created by the Force, a bond that can only be broken by death. And even then, perhaps not truly broken. Snoke underestimated you, the darkness inside. Even after the death of Han Solo, he still believed killing another whom you care for would bring you over the edge. He was a fool.”

“I killed Snoke!” Kylo spits. He’s had enough of old withered darksiders trying to mess with his emotions, control him. 

“Yes”, and the Emperor cackles softly. “You did. And it only made you stronger. Now, because of Snoke’s incompetence, I will have much more work to do.” Kylo feels a wave of energy in the Dark Side of the Force as Palpatine rises slowly, painstakingly from his throne. The old Sith Lord is frail and sickly- beyond sickly- on the cusp of death. Kylo is surprised he can stand at all. 

“You see, I learned my lesson many years ago, when I was stronger, at the height of my power. My downfall was caused by my inability to foresee the damage the bond with Padme Amidala would do to Anakin Skywalker. I should have moved more swiftly, taken him earlier. But I did not. And then, he spawned two children… Even then, I underestimated the bond he would share with his son, even after all that time. I should never have let them communicate with one another. But I, like Snoke, believed his death would make Vader stronger in the Dark Side.”

Darth Sidious takes a few shuffling steps to the edge of the platform where the many-spiked throne sits. Another flash of lighting illuminates his face, and Kylo inwardly flinches at the sight of it. But he does not back down; only stands, fists clasped, jaw locked, watching. “That was not the last of my mistakes. Long have I waited, for one such as you, equal light and dark, to go back and change my past mistakes. I did not see the young Jedi, the Scavenger. She was hidden form me for most of her life. I should have killed her the moment I realized what she was. But I saw her darkness, her brokenness, and I thought; I will keep her alive in case this boy, Ben Solo, should be a disappointment.”

Ben Solo. The words cut through his chest like a molten blade. He can help it; he finches at his old name spoken by this being of pure evil before him. 

“Bonds of family. Bonds of love. Those can be broken, sliced, turned against themselves. But a bond through the Force itself can never be severed. The chains that bind you to the Jedi are unbreakable. Even if I were to turn both of you, which was my second flawed plan, it would be far too dangerous. Together in the darkness; you two would be unstoppable.” 

The old Emperor reaches out to pluck Ren’s lightsaber from the arm of his throne. The Dark Side rumbles with his chuckle, deep and haunting, as he rolls the weapon in his palm. “I could have one of you kill the other, as a sign or a test. But we both know how that ended the last time.” Grinning, he sets the saber back on the arm of his throne, once more. He is unafraid. He knows how Snoke died, and yet he places the saber in the same position. A show of power. The both know Kylo could not lift a finger if her doesn’t want him to. 

With a deep sigh, Darth Sidious collapses back into the seat. “So, I shall have to do it myself. It was difficult to decide which of you it would be. You are the same; equal parts light and dark. You have been in the Dark Side longer. You are more skillful and knowledgeable. But she is younger, faster. True that you had a dark painful childhood, but she… she was abandoned her whole life. And you still have bonds outside of the one you have with her. She does not.” 

The Sith Lord pauses a moment, to let it all sink in. A cold feeling begins creep down Kylo’s spine as realization begins to dawn. “And then there’s that mighty Skywalker Blood; the very reason I sought after you for so many years. Initially, I believed it would could only benefit me. But now I realize; it is your greatest weakness. Perhaps, the Skywalkers were the real problem, all along…” The ground beneath them shakes and the storm rages, pelting the roof above with wind and rain. In the cold lightning flash, Palpatine’s smile is wide and grotesque. Kylo’s heart quivers along with the ground beneath his feet. 

“That is why I have chosen you to die, Young Solo.” 

A sudden flash of anger. Kylo feels it in the back of his skull. But not his own. No; he thinks; not yet! Don’t do it yet! 

But no sooner has he thought this, then the Emperor is raising his voice and extending a beaconing, shriveled hand. “You can come out now, young Jedi.” 

A beat. Then a sharp intake of breath, and a figure dressed in all white, hooded and guarded with lightsaber in hand, emerges from the shadows in the back of the cavern behind him. Kylo curses inside his head, tries to think of a new plan, but Rey is already dropping her hood and racing forward. Past Kylo, teeth gritted in a guttural growl, she charges Palpatine straight on. She ignites her saber, vaulting into the air, ready to swing; but something catches her mid-jump and holds her suspended in the air. An invisible hand around her throat. Her body is frozen. The lightsaber falls to the ground then flies to the Emperor’s outstretched hand. 

Kylo gapes up at her, fury and panic rising inside him. The last time someone dared lay a finger on Rey, Kylo had split him in half. But now, he is powerless to help her. What can he do? Nothing. But he cannot do nothing. So, even though he knows its futile, knows how it will end, he balls his fists and sprints forward. Extending his arms in front of him, he shoves with the Force as he runs, sending a shock wave into the Sith Lord. But he barely flinches. And a moment later, Kylo is hovering in the air beside Rey, a thick fist closed around his neck, so that he can only barely breathe. 

“Even now, you prove me right. Your bond, your love; it is your undoing. Without him”, he addresses Rey, “you might have stayed hidden. Without her”, those yellow eyes fall on Kylo, “you might not have run straight at me and into my waiting grasp. You are a danger even to yourselves. That is why one of you must die.” 

The old man sighs and drums his yellowing claws on the throne, beside the two lightsabers. He is growing tired of this. He is ready to begin the next phase. “I’ll give you one last chance to say goodbye, to confess your love. You will never get the chance again.”

Slowly, he turns them in the air and pulls them closer, so that the hover face to face. Her face is red, angry. Her breaths are too shallow. Struggling in her bonds, she hisses and growls; unable to give up, to give in. “Rey…”

The tears in his voice have nothing to do with the invisible hand nearly choking him. She’s still fighting, refusing to face the inevitability of this situation, where it will certainly end. Swallowing, he studies her face; light warm skin, freckles… warm eyes… soft lips. He wishes. Oh, he wishes…

“Rey.” Look at me, please. I need to tell you. If I die here and now, I need to tell you. Again; “Rey.”

“No.” Finally, her eyes flit to his; sad and angry and so deep in the darkness. She grimaces at the look on his face. He is not afraid. She is; afraid of losing him, of never seeing him again. It chokes worse than the invisible hand round her throat. “No. Ben…” She can barely whisper his name. It hurts so much!

“Rey… I-.”

“No!” Please don’t say it. Don’t say goodbye. He holds her gaze. Their chests rise and fall together; in synch, always. “I will not lose you too…” She spits, though the fire is leaving her quickly. She must hold on to her anger. Otherwise she will drown in the reality of this moment. 

But Kylo shakes his head. She knows; she must know. But if this is his only chance to say it… “Rey.” She’s crying. And she is so, so beautiful. The trails of her tears glitter with lightning. Shaking her head, her lips form a silent plea. No. 

“I could never love anyone or anything more than I love you.” He sobs and then bites his lip. “And I do.” 

“Ben…” She’s shaking her head, body quivering. She clenches her jaw. Still that fiery spit of defiance. “Don’t- Don’t you say goodbye!” 

He can’t move his body, can’t summon the strength; but the Force is still with him, deep inside him. Reaching out with it, he pushes a few wild, sweaty strands of hair out of her face, and she leans into his ghostly touch. 

“Hmmm.” The Emperor is watching them curiously, resting his chin on knuckles that seem to be nothing but bone. “I thought I had decided which of you to kill. But maybe I was too hasty in my decision… Who to choose…” Two gnarled claws stroke his chin. “Or perhaps, I’ll make it a surprise…” 

Then Kylo’s body goes ridged as a hot current constricts his muscles. He knew it would be him. It was the most logical decision. He can barely see Rey through the tears spilling from his eyes, but when the hand tightens about his neck, he squeezes them shut. Surrendering to it. He will die, but Rey will live. And that is enough. He’s afraid, but he will be brave; just like his mother would want him to. She will be proud when Rey tells her that he died as himself. 

Suddenly, Kylo- Ben- hears a terrible choking noise, wet and gurgling and harsh. He realizes the hand has stopped closing round his throat at the same moment his eyes fly open and see Rey gasping for air. No! The Emperor had chosen him. He was the Skywalker. No! Not Rey! The vice is tight round her neck, squeezing the life from her body. Her face is red, and her mouth is open, choking, gasping! She can’t breathe. 

“Rey! Rey”, he screams. He begins to thrash in his bonds. Summoning all this strength, he begins to push on the Emperor’s grip on all sides. He tries to summon his lightsaber. He tries to throw himself at Palpatine. It doesn’t work. And before his eyes, Rey is slowly dying. 

Then she stops struggling. They lock eyes. There is a calm there, a determination. ‘I know what we have to do.’ A buzz at the base of his skull; where he can sometimes feel her emotions and her physical pain too. Her voice is soft inside his head. Be he hears it. 

Starring at her, shocked, Ben tries to understand how this is happening. ‘On the count of three. Alright?’ Her voice whispers in his inner ear. He swallows; nods. ‘One.’  
‘Two.’

‘Three.’ 

At the same moment, the two- who are all but one being now- access the Force at the same time. The Dark. The Light. It is all the Force; and it is inside of them and flowing in their veins and every being who ever lived. And they are all one. A wave of energy radiates from the two Force Users. It shatters through the throne room; rips through the air itself. And they’re screaming, and reaching for each other, and squeezing their eyes tight shut. 

And then: 

Quiet. 

Stillness. 

Peace. 

And Rey’s hand warm in his. 

Ben opens his eyes. Darkness. But within the darkness; stars. And Rey’s eyes. She pulls his hand to her chest and he leans his head against hers, sweaty hair sticking to her damp forehead. They’re both still gasping. “Are you alright.” He breathes. Pursing her lips into a relieved smile, she nods against his skin. 

Then Ben looks up. 

They are kneeling on a ribbon of soft light that stretches on before them and behind them. It goes on forever, curving and turning, and connecting round, glowing circles with darkness at their centers, resting on platforms in the air. There is no ground. There is no sky. There is only the darkness; and the stars; and the Jedi of Jakku and the Son of Skywalker. 

“Where are we?” Rey gapes in wonder at the emptiness around them. But she’s not afraid. It is too peaceful here to be afraid. 

A curious expression creasing his brow, Ben slowly rises to his feet, still holding her hand. He studies their surroundings with pursed lips. “I know this place…”  
Rey turns to look at him, confused. “You do”, she asks. She’s gripping his hand, so large and solid within her own. Never again, is she going to let go. 

Carefully, one foot in front of the other, Ben starts down the glowing path through the emptiness, pulling Rey behind him. She’s uncertain, but he seems to know where he’s going, so she lets him tug her along behind him. At first, she thinks she’s imagining it in all that silence, but she begins to hear whispering voices, getting louder at they near the first of the glowing circles. 

“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us.”

“I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” 

“You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!”

“We are what they grow beyond.” 

“Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”

“The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And my sister has it.” 

“Use the Force, Luke.” 

Those voices. They seem to be coming from the circles. Rey is looking around in wonder, trying to decipher the strange symbols around the edges of the rings, but Ben walks with purpose. His eyes are fixed on one just ahead; a circle with no symbols, but many spinning rings around the outside edge. 

They stop on the platform, and Rey glances over at Ben, who is transfixed on the glowing sphere. She squeezes his hand, is about to ask what it is, when the darkness at the center slowly recedes. There is a darkness beyond, but less dense. She can make out a small room and a figure lying down. Beside her, Ben stiffens, his whole body going ridged. 

A door opens in the room beyond, and a dark, cloaked figure slips inside, letting in a warm glow from outside. The figure on the bed seems to be sleeping and he’s- Rey softly gasps. Its him. Its Ben Solo.

The dark figure looms over Ben and a gloved hand reaches out, hovering over his head. And Rey suddenly realizes what she’s seeing. Luke. He is terrified of what he’s just seen in his nephew’s mind. Without thinking, his hand goes to his belt and unclips his lightsaber. Rey suddenly wants to reach through and stop him, but she just curls her hand around her Ben’s arm. 

The bright green of the ignited saber casts an ominous glow on Luke’s face. He steels himself. But then, stares down at his own hands in horror. What had he almost done? But its too late. Young Ben’s eyes open and he turns, seeing the ignited saber, and calls his own weapon into his hand. The blades clash. Luke has just enough time to cry Ben’s name, before the young apprentice raises his hand and calls on the Force. 

BOOM

Darkness. Rey almost thinks that the gateway has closed, but then she sees the young Ben standing in the same place they are, before the same gate. It’s almost like a mirror; except that the Ben Solo on that side has no scar on his face. He wears only a simple white tunic and trousers. Crouched on all fours, the boy slowly raises his head and stares around him in disbelief. With deliberate movements, he stands, leaving his lightsaber discarded on the platform. Rey searches his face; the pain, the tears trailing down his cheeks, the confusion, the anger. 

“You were here before”, Rey breathes, as they both stare. Her Ben only nods, swallowing hard. 

The young Ben draws near to the circular gate. He stretches out a hand to touch one of the twisting rings. Then suddenly, the darkness begins to fade and is replaced with a warm hazy glow, almost like that of bright sunlight. When it clears, young Ben stares in awe at a landscape of sandy hills as far as the eye can see, and a bright blue sky. Sitting in the sand with her back to the metal side of a building, is a little girl with dark brown hair tied up in buns. She’s crying, furiously whipping tears from her cheeks, and sobbing. 

Rey’s mouth falls open. That place. That girl. She knows them. It is her. 

Young Ben just stares, confusion etched into his features. Crouching down level with the girl, he carefully extends a quivering hand. When his fingers touch the surface, he’s shocked to find it isn’t solid at all. He pulls back as if it burned him, but a moment later, he presses his palm to it again. Studying the little girl -Rey- the pain returns to his face. 

“Come back.” The girl whispers. “Come back, please. I’m so alone.” She reaches out toward the sky and hangs her head, her shoulders sagging. 

The boy Ben looks like he wants to comfort her. His lips move, but he still seems afraid to speak. But seemingly without meaning to, his hand slips though the water-like surface, towards the girl. For a moment, his fingers hover over hers. Young Rey’s eyes are closed. Young Ben’s are fixed on her face. 

I’ve never felt so alone. 

You’re not alone. 

Their fingers touch, just for half a second, and it seems to send a jolt through them both. Ben jerks back, pulling his hand back through the portal, and holds it to his chest. Little Rey’s head lifts and whips her head around looking for the person who touched her. She almost looks hopeful. But then the realization returns. She is truly alone. Starring at her fingers a moment, she wipes her tears away, and buries her head in her arms. Then young Ben’s gate closes and returns to black. 

He’s crying again. “Stop!” He screams, arching his neck almost painfully, to stare up at the emptiness above him. “No more of this! I don’t want it! Just leave me alone!” Falling to his hands and knees, he sobs. “I’m so alone!” He slams his fist down against the platform with a loud bang. And suddenly, he disappears. All that’s left is his lightsaber. 

Ben- her Ben- continues to stare at it. They both do. Realization hits hard, and Rey gasps. “That was-”

“Yes.”

Conflicting emotions play across Ben’s face. He can’t take his eyes off the place where his younger self had once been. Tugging on his hand, she slowly forces him to face her. Downcast eyes are filled with painful memories. She touches his face, uncertain and a little awkwardly, and guides his gaze to hers. “Looks like Snoke wasn’t the one who bridged our minds. He was lying the whole time.” Swallowing, he nods. “The Force brought us together.” 

Then he looks at her; really looks at her. She’s so strong, so beautiful. He sees that little girl in her now. But this Rey isn’t alone, and she’ll never have to be again! I promise. He presses two fingertips to her cheek. It feels so strange; unnatural -he hasn’t really touched someone in so long- but right. He’d regretted before, when he thought he was going to die, that he’d never gotten a chance to kiss those lovely lips. He has a chance now…

But then his eyes are drawn to the lightsaber left behind by his younger self. Why hasn’t the portal closed? Breaking away from Rey, he crouches down and extends a hand to reach for it. But before his fingers can graze the surface, there is a voice behind him. 

“Ben.”

He freezes. He knows that voice. Though he’s never heard it before, never met its owner, he will always know that voice. Shoulders going stiff, Ben rises, and he turns.  
He wears simple brown robes. He glows with the aura of the Force. Anakin Skywalker; the one he has waited for and longed to see. Joy and hope dissolve to anger inside Ben. Raising an accusatory finger, he suddenly stomps toward the apparition. “You!” He snarls. “Where were you when I needed you?” The ghost of Anakin Skywalker does not reply. But there is a clear flash of sadness in his hooded eyes. 

“I called to you. I begged you to come, to show me a sign, something… But you ignored me my whole life! Why now? Why are you here now that I don’t need you anymore?” 

Skywalker bows his head. There’s tenderness in his eyes as he gazes at his grandson. And Rey suddenly thinks how much alike they are; right down to the scar on their faces and the sullen look in their eyes. He draws a little nearer. “It was because you needed me that I could not come. You needed to make this journey on your own.”

Ben shakes his head, furious. He’s so angry, and so hurt. Tears stinging his eyes, he rounds on his dead grandfather. “I sat there for hours, asking you to help me free myself form all that pain. And you couldn’t be bothered to even send me a sign!”

“I was with you the whole time, son. But it wasn’t me who you were seeking help from. You wanted Vader, but I am no longer that person. The only one who you would accept was Vader. If I had come, you wouldn’t have listened to me.”

“You could have at least tried!” Betrayal; red hot and stinging. But some part of him sees the truth in Anakin’s words. 

The stern finally falls from Skywalker's face. He smiles; real and strong. “You kept your promise to me though.” And when Ben raises an eyebrow, Anakin lifts his arms out to the side, motioning to the space around them. “You’re finishing what I started. Both of you. Together.” His eyes fall on Rey. And she suddenly feels a little self-conscious. This is the Anakin Skywalker. This is the man who became Darth Vader and then destroyed him. 

Anakin smiles again, seeming to read her thoughts. “Rey.” 

A little cautiously she steps up to take her place beside Ben. “What did you start?” 

“Bringing balance to the Force, of course.” He chuckles lightly. “I was the Chosen One… But perhaps we needed two Chosen. Both of them stronger than I ever was.”

But the Emperor isn’t dead. Rey has so many questions. Balancing the Force? She doesn’t know what it means; and yet, something about it feels right. Light. Darkness. Balance. Could they be that; she and Ben? 

Suddenly, Anakin’s expression sobers. He meets, first Rey’s, then Ben’s eyes. “He’s coming.” 

“What- who’s-.” Rey starts to ask. 

“Ben”, Anakin says, holding his grandson’s gaze. They share a moment, and it seems there an understanding there, at last. “The Force will be with you. And so will I.” And then, before their eyes, he vanishes, and they are alone in this place between worlds, once again.


	2. Part II

Part II

All is still. The portal behind them continues to remain open, emitting a soft hissing noise. The two Force users breathe, and the force ebbs and flows around them. And in that moment, there is nothing else in the whole universe. 

Then a loud crack of electricity pops to their left, sending a shockwave across the void and shaking the platform beneath their feet. Ben and Rey both cover their ears, and then look up; only to find one of the circular portals has opened and a black-hooded figure is stepping out from the mist. The Emperor. Even before he’s fully emerged, his maniacal laughter seeps out from the blue mist creeping from the hole in time and space, aching in Ben’s bones. He immediately goes to step in front of Rey, to shield her. The memory of the Sith Lord’s phantom hand squeezing the life from her body keeps his hand protectively at her waist, holding her behind his much larger form. 

“Fools. Foooools.” The Emperor chortles, voice filling the space. Mist continues to trickle out from the gate and reaches out like tendrils, and begins to fill the empty space around the platform, obscuring the darkness and the stars. No longer shuffling or bowed over in pain, Palpatine glides forth, his robes sliding across the glowing pathway around him. All they can see of him are his white fingers and that hideous smile. 

“Fools, you are.” And his laugh seems to shake the very foundations of this place, even though there aren’t any. Ben squeezes his fingers into a shaking fist and stretches his long legs in a defensive stance. He’s ready; it is time to end this. But Rey slides out from his protective grip and moves between him and their nemesis, sweeping him behind her. 

“Rey-.” He tries to move back around her- he’s supposed to be the shield- but she won’t let him. 

“You retreated to this place, thinking you could escape me, thinking the Force would protect you. Fools! You only showed me the way. I am even stronger in this place.” 

Gritting her teeth, squaring her shoulders, Rey replies; “So are we.” 

“So be it.”

And the Lord of the Sith raises his arms above his head. Mist shoots forth, out of the gateway, circling them inside the ring of pathways and gates. The mist, then, turns deep crimson. And as the Emperor laughs; great and terrible, two shadows appear out of the red haze. Ben gasps. Rey shakes her head in confusion. They both stare, open mouthed, as the two shadows become human flesh. One a man. One a woman. Clothed in dark robes, of rippling silk; high cheekbones and hollowed cheeks. He has an angry, festering scar down the side of his face, and holds a cross-guarded, red lightsaber in hand. She has dark burns from blue energy branded into the skin at the corner of her lip, trailing and fanning out across her jaw and down her neck to her exposed collarbone. She holds a red lightsaber with double ends. Both of their eyes glow red and yellow with the hatred of the Dark Side. 

It is them. It is a Rey who had fallen to the Darkness, and a Kylo Ren who had gone even further than Ben ever had. But this can’t be real; Rey thinks. Whatever these things are, whatever dark essence they are made of, aren’t real. They can’t hurt them. Right?

But they look solid enough. The beams of their lightsabers are red hot and crackling with visible and audible energy. The fire in both of their eyes are fierce and completely unafraid. How can this be?

Exchanging a long, uncertain look, Ben and Rey steel themselves for a fight. They have no weapons, not even an ordinary blaster, but the Force is stronger here. It brought them here. And surely, as Anakin Skywalker promised, it will be with them. They are just about to rush forward, to attack, when the dark version of Rey grins wickedly. And out of the shadows and churning fog; more haunting shapes join the first two, surrounding Darth Sidious like a dark halo. 

Ben is the first to understand- to recognize. He sucks in a harsh breath, heart hammering in his chest. No. He shakes his head, mind whirling inside. No. This cannot be…

First is Luke. Garbed in a black and green tunic, he strides forward, blonde hair long and tousled around his sharp jaw. The silver of his cybernetic hands glows in the faint light, as they grip the handle of a familiar lightsaber, but with a red blade. Leia is at his side. Her hair flows long and wavy down her back. She’s dressed from neck to foot in a flowing black dress. Her red eyes gleam within deep sockets, the same harsh color as the saber in her hands, cross-guarded like her son’s. Looking over her shoulder, she smiles as her father joins them in the mist. Darth Vader. 

There are others too. Ben has never seen their faces, but he knows instantly who they are. Obi-Wan Kenobi; draped in pale grey robes, a deep scar etched into the side of his neck. Beside him stands his master; Qui-Gon Jinn, with the same Sith eyes. Ahsoka Tano. Mace Windu And finally; Yoda himself, with glowing eyes and a red saber. Dark versions of Jedi Ben had grown up hearing stories about, now standing before him. 

So, this is the end. They surely cannot fight and win against so many powerful Force users. But they must try. And they will do it together. 

The Sith shades rush forward as a pack. The only ones that hang back are the dark Rey and Kylo Ren. The rest rush Rey and Ben as one powerful unit. These Sith apparitions are swift and strong. But that is all they are; apparitions, not fully real. Ben and Rey are. 

The first to reach the pair are Asoka Tano and Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon moves to strike, but, using the Force, Rey sweeps his feet out from under him, taking up his lightsaber when he crashes onto the path. She kills him in one swipe and in the same strike, meets Mace Windu’s arcing blade. 

Dark Ahsoka Tano leaps through the air, lightsabers lit and extended, but Ben is quick. He grabs her with the Force, extending a hand to wrap around her and throws her into the hard platform below. Lifting her up again, he smashes her down once more, and then yanks the saber out of her hand, cutting her down just as quickly. Yoda is nearly upon him in the next second. He whirls through the air, barely avoiding Ben’s swing. Ben immediately ducks, as another ignited blade wizzes by. It’s the dark version of Obi Wan Kenobi.

Ben and Rey fight back to back. Just as they did inside Snoke’s throne room. They lean on each other, just as they did before; but now they’re even more in tune. Ben can hear Rey’s voice in his head. He can feel her movements before they happen. Supporting herself on his back, she swipes dark Yoda out of the air, while at the same time, kicking Mace Windu off the ledge, to plummet into the nothingness. Obi Wan dies at the same moment, sliced in half by Ben’s stolen blade. 

Leia Skywalker steps up to take his place, her father at her side. Behind him, Rey is faced with her old teacher; Luke. Ben is startled upon facing his mother. He knows its not her, that this isn’t real; but that’s her face. Beneath the shadows and the scars, it is her. Young again. 

The lightsaber is knocked out of his hand by a kick from Leia. Ben falls from Rey’s side, stumbling and then whirling to meet the strikes of both his mother and his grandfather. Using the Force, he forces their blades back and throws his body into Vader, knocking him to the ground. They wrestle for a moment. Ben tries and fails twice to take the lightsaber away from him, but he is nearly as strong as Ben is. Then he feels Leia above him, feels her saber barring down. Grabbing Vader’s hand in both his fists he rolls to the side, extending the blade up. Leia freezes, weapon still raised, and stares down at the red-hot beam impaling her through the chest. Then she slides forwards, the blade gliding through her body, and Ben grabs her hand and plunges it down, using the force of her weight to pierce Vader straight through the eye. 

Gasping, stinging from two different types of pain, Ben rolls out from beneath the bodies just in time to see Rey cut the legs out from under dark Luke Skywalker. She grimaces as she then slices through his chest and he falls to the ground at her feet.

“You alright?” Ben whispers, drawing close and placing a hand on her arm. She nods, still breathing hard and rattled, but uninjured. 

Then they both look up at the same moment. Two figures, matching them in size and shape, stride forward. The dark Rey and Kylo Ren stop just feet away from their real counterparts, to look them up and down. Dark Rey sneers at her other self. And Rey is suddenly reminded of her vision in the cave on Ahch-To. 

Kylo Ren looks studies Ben. They look very similar; wearing the same clothes, same hair. But the scar in Kylo’s face is nasty and festering; and more than that, his expression, the look in his eyes, is far more terrible than Ben has ever been capable of. Ben takes up Darth Vader’s lightsaber, and Rey takes Luke’s. Then, they attack. 

Kylo Ren is merciless. He seems just as intent to kill his better self as Ben had once been. Blow after bone-shattering blow. This Kylo Ren is all brutal power, raining down blows with his cross-guard lightsaber. Its dizzying. It’s hard to comprehend the raw force that is his unadulterated anger. 

Where Kylo is blind rage; dark Rey is calculating. She’s cunning, and far more skilled than Rey in her saber play. The double blades suit her well. A childhood of fending for herself out in the desert, paired with her Dark Side training, has melted her down into a finely tuned weapon. Each strike is expertly placed, and Rey is entirely at her mercy. Unlike her dark counterpart, Rey leaned much of what she knows from Ben’s own mind, and from Luke’s training. She hadn’t realized how much she fights in the same way, until she up against an opponent with skills she’s has no knowledge of. 

Rey holds her defensive position. Gripping her saber in both hands, she moves as quickly as she can to block each strike; as she’s slowly forced back, towards the edge of the platform. She grunts as she tries to return blows and is barely sliced by one end of the red lightsaber. Dark Side Rey spins, rotating her saber at the same time like a whirring motor blade. She ends her spin with a kick to Rey’s thigh, and the young Jedi goes sprawling backwards. Bracing her hands for impact, she uses the Force to break her fall. She’s quickly back on her feet again, using the same thrust to rocket into the air. The toe of her boot connects with other Rey’s face, and she falls. 

But unlike Rey, she hits the glowing pathway hard. She moans and then rises once more. But Rey has noticed something; these dark clones can’t use the Force. Glancing over at Ben, who’s struggling under the hulking Kylo Ren, she sees him look over at the same moment. They exchange a look. And Rey thinks he might have had the same revelation she did. 

Summoning all her strength in the Force, Rey shoves at the other Rey with all her might. Dark Rey is quick, but not quick enough. She tries to sidestep, but is clipped by the blow, and trips. At the same moment, Rey lets go of her own lightsaber and sends it whirling off into the darkness. The other Rey rushes her, saber and teeth flashing. But just before she can reach her, Rey brings up both hands and pushes back, holding her evil self at bay. There’s a moment’s struggle. Two Reys, gritted teeth and pure determination. Then, the lightsaber returns to Rey’s hand, slicing straight through the middle of the dark side Rey. 

Rey sees the light leave her own eyes. And her clone falls dead at her feet. But there is no time to feel the strange mix of emotions trying to form in her mind. The next moment, she’s whirling round to find Ben. 

He’d seen it, felt her revelation in his own mind, even before he realized what he was seeing. Now, as he’s nearly bent backward under Ren’s curiosity, Ben tries to push back with the Force. But he can’t breathe, can’t quiet his mind; can’t connect. Each moment is a reaction. Either react, or die. “Kylo”, he tries. “Ben.” It doesn’t work. Kylo is not even really him. He’s a Sith now. There is no conflict inside. Ben stares into his own empty eyes, horrified. I’m so glad I never became you; he thinks. But then Kylo changes position too quickly and catches Ben off guard. His blade connects with the handle of Ben’s saber and it flies out of his hand, cut into pieces.   
Ben falls. He tries to catch himself with the Force, but he has to use all his strength to deflect the blow Kylo brings down on him. Desperate, shaking, Ben holds his dark self at bay with one hand raised, while the other frantically grasps for something- anything! His hand, stretched behind him, as he lies prostrate on the translucent platform, brushes the edge of something solid. The circle around the edge of the gate. He’s fallen just beside it. 

Scooting round onto his belly and still holding Kylo back with one hand, Ben casts a glance over at and through the portal. Something silver glints in the light of a million, million stars. 

“The Force will be with you.” 

Ben Breathes. Then he extends his hand and reaches with all that is inside him. For a moment, he fears it will not work, and panics; because his hold on Kylo Ren has broken. But then the old familiar lightsaber slaps into his hand. The blue glow illuminates his face as he rises in the same motion, igniting it and thrusting it through the chest of his truest enemy. 

Kylo Ren’s body tenses in shock. His lips fall open, eyes dark as the skies. Then they focus on Ben. The blue glow of the blade between them, connecting them, turns their faces the same hue. They are the same person again, for a moment. Ben Solo. Kylo Ren’s quivering hand lifts. He has just enough time to press two fingers to Ben’s cheek before Ben extinguishes his saber, and Kylo falls sideways down into the void below. 

Ben’s eyes find Rey’s. There is silence in the distance between them. She smiles. 

But then the voice of Emperor Palpatine rumbles through the air. “Fine”, he says, and everything begins to shake. “I shall do it myself then.” WHOOSH! The Sith Lords arms rise and the air splits in two.

The pathways, the gates; every piece of matter in this world between worlds begins to move, to condense. With a force powerful enough to rip space itself, the Sith Lord rends air like a curtain. 

Ben and Rey are catapulted into the open air. They find each other, using the Force to pull them close together. Hands fumble a second before gripping tight. Then Ben turns to see Sidious standing on his platform, detached from everything else, holding his hands above his head as blue sparks fly from his fingers. “You have brought me here. And now, with my unlimited power, I will destroy it all in a single moment.” 

All the matter, the pathways and platforms, compress into two swirling masses, slowly drawing together. Rey gasps as she realizes what he intends to do. Both masses press in on both sides, boxing her and Ben between. He means to crush them between them! 

“No!” She cries. Holding onto her arm with a grip of steel, Ben looks down at the saber in his hand. It’s the only thing he has left. Even though he knows its futile; as a last ditch effort, he ignites the blue blade and thrusts it towards the Emperor, using the Force to guide it. Through the swirling debris and winds, it swirls; his aim is true. But it only bounces harmlessly off the energy radiating off Darth Sidious. 

The two walls of solid mass are getting close now. Too close. Winds swirling their hair round and into their faces, the pair finds themselves hovering right between the incoming walls. They lock eyes. Ben swallows, then very gently, reaches up to cup the side of Rey’s jaw in his large palm. Desperation rising in her eyes, she suddenly surges forward and wraps her arms around him, gripping him- cradling him- close. And he hugs her back. He can barely hear her over the winds when she speaks into his ear. “We can’t go like this! We have to do something!” 

Drawing back, Ben looks her in the eyes; really looks. His hands are still on her waist. Her body is so close. It there were ever a time to kiss her, it is-

Suddenly, they both become aware how close the walls have gotten. At the same moment, they both raise their arms out to the sides and use the Force to push back against them. His palms are nearly touching the glowing, pulsing masses.

This is it. This is truly it. They will end here and now. But perhaps, whatever exists after death will be kind to them. Will they be together? No. Surely the Force will not accept him. He has not even said he’s sorry for all he’s done, hasn’t even begun to atone. But Rey will be. He hopes she’ll be happy. 

Her eyes are wide and terrified. Ben wishes he could kiss that fear away, press his lips to those delicate lids and stay there for eternity. But through the tears beginning to blur his vision, there’s a glimmer of light off to the side, beyond the walls and swirling debris. He blinks rapidly, unsure if he can believe his eyes. It’s a portal? Where did it come from? He has no idea; but there’s a soft golden glow beyond and Ben knows it didn’t open by accident. 

Grunting with the force of holding back the two masses, dripping with sweat, breath coming in heaving gasps, Ben finds her eyes. He captures them, demands their attention. Rey sees it in his eyes before he even says it. Her head whips round to see the open portal and then returns to him, already shaking. “No!” She shouts over the roar.

“Rey! You need to go! Now!”

“I’m never leaving you! I swear I won’t!” He tries to protest, but she nudges in closer, desperation creasing her face; even as her body shudders under the strain. She feels ready to collapse in on herself at any moment, but she keeps her face brave. With sheer will, she will hold it! 

“You promised me I wasn’t alone. You don’t get to break that promise now and leave me alone!”

“You won’t be alone. You’ll go home.” 

She’s crying now. Gritting her teeth, she reinforces her stance, preparing to stay until the bitter end. Ben Solo is stubborn, but the resolve in her veins is sure. “You are my home… You think I could go back there? That I could live without you?”

“Yes.” And he’s never been more sure of anything in his life. “I know you will. I know you. You’re so strong.” 

“Ben! I can’t!” The wind has yanked her hair free of its buns. Their hair whips in the air between them. Rey gazes at Ben through the strands; his dark eyes, his flushed panting lips. And she knows, she knows he will never give in.

“Please…” Ben sobs. And relief floods his heart when she gives the slightest of nods. 

Then her lips are on his. Fierce, passionate, desperate. That’s Rey; that’s his Rey. His lips melt beneath her rough kiss, opening to taste her more fully. Why, oh why did he not do this sooner? He could kiss her for the rest of eternity. Goodbye is not a sad enough word to express the ache he feels at the thought of never doing this again. Then he feels her stiffen beneath him-

No! 

With a grunt of effort Rey releases him, and with the Force, shoves him out between the narrow space between the walls. Screaming her name, he hurdles though empty space towards that glowing sphere of light. “No! Rey!” She’s still holding it. Her face is red and contorted in pain, her entire body pulsing the essence of the Force. She is raw power. She is terrible. She is beautiful. 

Through watering eyes, Rey watches Ben sail through the emptiness to the portal. Just a moment; just one more moment, and she can finally rest. But just as he’s about to go through, his hands catch hold of the ring of the outside circle. Most of his body is already through, but he still holds on, knuckles white, starring up at her. 

“I’m sorry”, she whispers, and she can see him shaking his head. Then she finds the last bit of strength inside her and dips her head towards him. It only takes the tiniest of nudges from the Force. His fingers lose their grip and he is sucked out of sight. 

He’s safe now; she thinks. I can rest now. 

Then she takes the hand of the Force, and it surges up through her; shattering everything; the masses of matter, Sidious, Rey, and even this world itself. Gone. Only the Force remains. 

Darkness

Pure, unending serenity. Purpose. Peace. 

Rey floats in the soft dark. She is nothing, nowhere; and still everywhere at once. There is nothing here but the Force, and the Force is everything. It is like resting on the surface of a never-ending sea. Without time, without being. She does not breathe. There is no need for that. She is nothing more than air itself; one with every atom in this black place, only an extension of the Force radiating throughout the universe. 

Everything is completely silent… Or perhaps it is all just a continuous symphony of a million voices crying out in the same strain. And the more she opens her ears, the more it becomes that; a soft buzz of voices all speaking the same truth. The Force. 

At first, she had felt nothing at all, not a breath, not a twitch. But now, there’s the slightest sensation of movement; like being carried along down the smoothest of currents. And as she draws closer to the place she is being drawn to, the more the voices begin to stand out from the continuous chorus. 

“Rey.”

Her name. Her name? She had forgotten. She had forgotten there was anything before or after or beyond this place, this Force. 

“The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is ahead.”

“You know the truth.”

“I know when the moment comes you will be the one to turn. You’ll stand with me.”

That voice. She knows that voice…

“I know all about waiting.” 

“We’ll see each other again.”

“People keep telling me they know me. No one does.” 

A sensation, something warm and soft, begins to caress her skin. There is something else besides the darkness in this place. It’s so warm! Delicious. A glow, just beyond her eyelids. 

“It’s true. All of it; the Force, the Jedi. It’s all true.” 

Her eyes flutter. Sunkissed; she wakes, as though from sleep. But the voices continue to whisper to her. There is a light just a head. It is round and warm and blinding. And she is being sucked, ever slowly, towards it. 

“You will not bow before Snoke. You'll turn.”

She moves.

“We have everything we need.”

Then faster. 

“I’ll come back for you. I promise.”

That voice… It’s Him! 

She’s close now. The pull to the light is so strong. So bright; she closes her eyes. 

“The Force will be with you, always.” 

…

The sun is setting. The double suns turn the whole sky a muted blaze of shadowy reds and purples. Beautiful. But Ben Solo cannot see it. As he stumbles from the portal, onto the sandy ground, there is nothing in his mind… but her. Still shaking, her kiss wet upon her lips, his tears damp on his cheeks; Ben collapses to the ground. All around, the survivors of the fight- the Resistance and the First Order- stand along the desolate battlefield. 

They’re all starring at him with wide wondering eyes. But he doesn’t care. “No…” He softly cries, fisting his hands in the rough sand, then lowering his face to mutely sob into those dusty fingers. Someone runs up from the side, shoving his way through the crowd until he’s standing over the young man. There are others too. He can hear their heavy, urgent footfalls in the sand. He doesn’t look up.

A voice; Finn’s. He’s gasping, and when he speaks, his voice quavers. “Where’s Rey? Where is she!” 

“Rey…” Ben gasps. It feels like the last breath taken by a dying man. He is dying. 

Finn is shaking his head, denial taking over. “No… No, she can’t…” Behind Finn, Ben hears someone sob. 

Its not right. It’s not right that he should be here, alive and breathing when she’s not! It should be her standing here. If she really thought he could live with it; she should have to be the one to have to bare it. He can’t. He won’t! 

Tears painting his cheeks, Ben turns his face to the sky. He’s so very angry. “Bring her back!” He screams at the universe. The Force is real. He’s just witnessed it, been in an impossible place created by it. If the Force can do all that; it can bring her back. “You can take me! I’ll go. Just give her back!” 

A great, strangled cry explodes from his chest. “Bring her back!” And with another angry cry, he slams his fists into the earth, causing it to crack beneath him. Then, tears dripping from the end of his nose, sweaty hair brushing the ground, he hangs his head again. 

But there is a disturbance in the air. Something hums; and there’s a sharp intake of breath from the people surrounding him. He hears a breath like the rustling of wind, just behind him. And then, he feels it; that tingling hum in the base of his skull. He knows that feeling…

Very slowly, his back straightens. And when, in a moment of pure desperation, in which he dare not even hope, he turns his head and sees a woman standing there, garbed in pure white in the glow of the sunset. 

“Rey!” Finn cries. He rushes forward and throws his arms around Rey’s shoulders. Then Rose, and Poe, and other members of the Resistance join him. Smiling, Rey hugs them back. But her eyes are fixed on another. Even as they pat her on the back, and smile with relief, her eyes are fixed on him. Stepping around the group, she moves like spirit; gliding towards him, the wind blowing her hair and her clothing. 

She stops just before him. Still on his knees, he gazes up at her in wonder and uncertainty. He’d thought her gone forever; dead and unreachable. But here she is; whole and unbroken, alive, and so, so beautiful. If he did not truly love her before; he knows beyond dispute that he is irrefutably in love with her now. And the way she is looking at him; he cannot, but believe she loves him too. 

Gently, her hand stretches out to caress his face. He leans into it, needs it. “Ben.” Nearly sobbing, he wraps is around her middle and buries his face against her and breathes her in, while she cradles his head. But a moment later, she’s drawing him up, to his feet. And he’s gazing down into her warm shining eyes. Is she- can she be- real? Her kiss is soft but strong, and her face is warm cradled in his hands. Her heart presses against his chest; matching his beat for beat. 

She is real. And he does not, cannot, stop kissing her. 

But then, there is sound of someone approaching from behind. They break apart, but Ben’s eyes never leave her face. Rey’s neck straightens when she sees who it is. She smiles and then takes a small step back. Very slowly, Ben turns. Then he stumbles across the sand and falls to the ground at his mother’s feet. 

Leia has just emerged from her ship. In one hand, she holds a cane, and the other is on Chewbacca’s arm, as he helps her along. Ben has not seen his mother’s face in so many years, but when he dares glance up, he sees that it is tired and sagging. She is not so old; but the pain and strain of the recent years of her life have aged her double. 

There are tears in her eyes; so much pain, so much heartache, and most of it caused by him. But she smiles through it, nothing on her face but joy and love as she gazes down at him. “My son…” She whispers. And Ben desperately takes one of her wrinkled hands in both his and presses his forehead against the soft fingers. Then, she pulls him gently to his feet and draws him close. Ben collapses against her. So long he has yearned for her touch, that his soul aches as he buries his head in the crook of her neck and weeps silently. 

“Shhhh.” Leia hushes him, running her fingers over his dark waves. The entire army watches. No one speaks. This moment; reconciliation between mother and son, forgiveness; is too scared to interrupt. 

But then, Ben feels a shift, and unease in his mother’s stance. Suddenly, her legs are giving out from beneath her. He hurries to catch her, but she collapses into his arms. Carefully, he guides her down onto the sand, her body propped in his arms. Terror begins to fill his chest. “Mother?”

“Ben… I have waited so long. I can let go now.” 

“No.” Ben is shaking his head, terrified. “I just came back to you. Please, don’t go yet.”

The Princess reaches up with trembling fingers. Smiling softly, she caresses his cheek, the pad of her thumb running along the course ridge of his scar. “My time has been coming for a long time. But now that I’ve seen you safely home, I can finally rest in peace, knowing you’re safe.” 

“Mother…” Ben pleads, pressing his forehead to her grey hair. “I’m so sorry. I know you can’t forgive me but…” 

Her dark eyes, eyes that match his exactly, search his. “Oh Ben… You were forgiven for anything you could ever do the moment I felt you stirring inside me.”

“Don’t leave me.” The ache is so terrible. He can’t bear to say goodbye.

Her hand falls from his face and takes his trembling hand. Her lashes are fluttering as she gives the softest and sweetest of smiles. “I will l always be with you. Just like your father.” For a moment, he feels her fading. Gradually, her eyes slip closed. And then, she is gone. 

…

The sound of drums and instruments of all kind fill the air within the small cluster of buildings. A great fire has been built and the flames cast a bright glow on the surrounding gathering. It is the sound of celebration. People are dancing. Some are eating. Laughter fills the air. But though Rey rejoices and jokes with the rest, she is distracted. Moving through the throng, dodging shoulders and congratulating hands, Rey moves out beyond the firelight, to a small rise in the ground just beyond the joyous circle. 

There he stands; just a dark shadow against the soft blaze of the darkening sky. He has exchanged his gloves, and cape, and ripped and sweaty tunic for a plain wool shirt. His face is bathed in the light of two dying suns; and though he’s just seen his mother die, he looks more peaceful than she’s ever seen him. 

Sighing, she comes to rest on the hill beside him, her face also turning to gaze upon the sunset. She glances over at him, suddenly feeling a little uncertain. Biting her lip, she lets her hand fall to her side, knuckles bushing his. Ben doesn’t look at her, but a smile creeps up the corner of his mouth, and a moment later, he takes her hand into his. 

They stay like that for a while, starring out as the twin suns creep lower and lower. Ben looks down at their hands, then up at her face. He looks slightly troubled. “Rey…” He begins; then swallows. “I’m- I’m sor-.” 

But she squeezes his hand even tighter and whispers; “I know.”

“I don’t know what to say.” His dark eyes are haunting in the dim light. They search her face. 

“It’s alright, Ben.”

“Ben. Ben Solo”, he repeats, tasting the words. They sound uncertain in his mouth, like he’d forgotten them. “I don’t know that I’m that person anymore. But I’m not Kylo Ren.” His eyes meet hers, and there’s a hint of a smile in them. 

“No, you’re not.” 

“I guess I don’t exactly know who I am.” Licking his lips, his gaze falls back to their joined hands. 

Rey reaches over and wraps another hand around both of theirs, gathering them close to her chest. She caresses his knuckles and smiles. “But I do.” And then he’s drawing in to steel a kiss. 

When he pulls back, he still seems unsure. “I don’t know what happens now. How do we go on from here?”

Their hands drift back down between them, and she squeezes tight. “We have everything we need.” She replies. And her heart nearly bursts when she sees him grin. Then they both turn their faces to the setting suns. Two people. Two suns. One destiny. 

One Force

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't really a prediction of how I think The Rise Of Skywalker is going to end (I'm sure it'll be better anything I could dream up) but it's a headcannon I had after seeing the trailer. Which is amazing, by the way! I can't wait until the movie! I'm just dying thinking about two whole moths of anticipation and terror, waiting to learn Ben Solo's fate!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have any about this short story.


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